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MOBILE PUBLIC LIBRARY 

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Jackson’s Oak at Daphne, Ala. 



STORY OF THE TENSAW 


Blakely 

Spanish Fort 

Jackson Oaks 

Fort Mims 


BY 


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PRESCOTT A 1 '. PARKER. ° ' 

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Happy Are They Who Have No History 


P. A. Parker 
Montrose, Alabama 
Price postpaid, 50 cents . 


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THE EXPEBIEHGE OF THE 

PAST 

SHOULD O-TJXXDIE THE 

PRESEPTT 

XXT BTJXXiXDXXXO THE 

FTJTXTE6E 









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He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty ; and 
he that ruletli his spirit, than lie that taketli a city. 

Proverbs 16 : 32. 


What is the history of nations, but a narrative of the fol¬ 
lies, crimes, and miseries of man ? 


Noah Webster. 









A 

E*n 

51 

9*4 

Co pyZ, 


PREFACE 


It is with no desire to extol military exploits that this little 
volume is published. That which is herein written is a part of 
the history of our people, and the past should always be a mon¬ 
itor to the present. Back of the footlights that illumine mar¬ 
tial pomp are suffering human beings whose losses are irrepara¬ 
ble upon earth. If the story of our wars fill many pages so also 
have we many years of peace and plenty, and wars are made i?i 
times of peace. 

This is a world of individuals and it is the sum of individual 
life that guides the world for good or for evil. As we have op¬ 
portunity so have we also responsibility, and even to the least 
there is a duty that we cannot evade. 

Montrose, Alabama, March, 1922. 


« 



r 





With fire and sword the country round 
Was wasted far and wide ; 

And many a childing mother there, 

And new-born baby died ; 

But things like that, you k^iow, must be 
At every famous victory. 


They say it was a shocking sight 

After the field was won— 7 

For many thousand bodies here 
Lay rotting in the sun ; 

But things like that, you know, must be 
After a fan foils victory. 

Robert Southey’s “The Battle of Blenheim.” 





Siege of Spanish Fort and Blakely 


Compiled from the Official Records. 


The year 1865 came to witness the closing scenes of the great¬ 
est of internecine conflicts. The great battles of the war had 
been fought—Antietam and Gettysburg, Corinth and Chicka- 
mauga were history ; the Monitor had met the Merimac; Sher¬ 
man had marched to the sea; two-thirds of a million of men had 
been slaughtered ; and a large part of the South had become a 
desert where armies marched, countermarched and devastated. 

Among other oases the City of Mobile remained to the Con¬ 
federacy. Since August 5, 1864 Farragut’s ships had rode in 
the Tower Fleet preventing any intercourse with the outside 
world: nevertheless, the city at the mouth of a great system of 
rivers was a valued possession, and the adjacent territory a 
source of food without which even armies are powerless. 

Notwithstanding that the Confederates still held considerable 
territory, the correspondence of the officers shows the demoral¬ 
ized condition of the armies, and that the morale of the people 
was on the wane. 

Under date of January 23, Tieut. Gen. Richard Taylor as¬ 
sumed command of the Confederate forces known as the Army 
of the Tennesee, “without waiting longer for a response from 
the President. . . Gen. Hood left this morning for Richmond.** 
The next day Gen. Beauregard notified President Davis that 
Gen. Taylor had but 15,000 men and unless reenforced by Kir¬ 
by Smith it would be impossible to defend successfully the states 


f 


6 


STORY OF THE TENSAW 


of Mississippi and Alabama. The mills refused to deliver goods 
and the Quartermaster General asked permission to “impress." 
General Forrest complained ot “roving bands of deserters, ab¬ 
sentees, stragglers, horse thieves, and robbers, who consume the 
substance and appropriate the property of citizens without re¬ 
muneration." March 9, Gen. Beauregard wrote Gen. Taylor: 
“Desertion from the army is now epidemic. They deserted by 
hundreds from the cars on the way here (Charlotte, N. C. ) 
The same complaint reaches 11s here from Lee’s army." 

February 14, Gen. Taylor wrote the Secretary of War: “Un¬ 
less something is done promptly to meet the current expenses 
of this department it will be useless to attempt to hold the coun¬ 
try comprising it. . . Without cash payments, railroads, steam¬ 
boats, citizens, and soldiers will no longer work, sell or fight. 
Something must be done immediately." The same day Gov. 
Clark of Mississippi wrote to Gen. Taylor: “In many counties 
subsistance cannot be had except by purchase or impressment, 
and the militia are generally poor men who have not the money 
to advance." 

There is a great lesson in the story of the Civil War: The 
South lived 7 vithin itself. After four veal's of war there was 
plenty of food where the country had not been overrun, but it 
had to be bought. The most fortunate nation is the one which 
can stand alone—the nation which lives within itself; the one 
with the least commerce and whose people are not dependent 
upon others. 

Maj. Gen. Dabney H. Maury, commanding at Mobile, report¬ 
ed that “the only practical purpose the (submarine) St. Patrick 
was serving was to keep Halligan and her crew of six able bod¬ 
ied men from doing military duty. . . Halligan had been absent 
from her two weeks, and had taken with him several essential 
parts of her machinery. After some search Halligan was found 
comfortably established at the Battle House." February 3, 
Gen. Maury reported that lie had placed the submarine in com¬ 
mand of Lieut. Walker of the C. S. Navy; upon the night of 
January 27, Lieut. Walker attacked the flag-ship Octorara but 
the torpedo missed fire. Some part of the submarine was dam¬ 
aged but she would be ready to go out the next dark moon.. 




7 


STORY OF THE TENSAW 

March io. Gen. Maury reported an aggregate of 28,194 men, 
of whom 735 officers and 9,205 men were present for duty. 

The Alabama River empties into Mobile Bay by two principal 
rivers, the Mobile River being upon the western side of the del¬ 
ta and the Tensas, or Tensaw, being the eastern outlet. The 
Tensaw River itself has four outlets known as Raft River, Ten¬ 
saw River, Apalachee River, and Blakely River. At the time 
of the Civil War the Mobile & Montgomery Railroad, now the 
Rouisville & Nashville, ended at Hurricane Bayou on the Ten¬ 
saw River and had only steamboat connection with Mobile. 

Blakely, 011 the eastern bank of the Tensaw, where the Ten¬ 
saw and Blakely rivers separate, was the only stopping point for 
boats 0:1 the way to Mobile. The town of Blakely was establish¬ 
ed in 1817 by people from New York and New England and was 
the county seat of Baldwin County until the Civil War. 

At Blakely a line of fortifications two and a half miles long 
consisting of nine redoubts connected by strong earthworks had 
been constructed. At the point where the Apalachee River left 
the main stream, two batteries had been constructed, the one 
upon the north side of the Apalachee being known as Battery 
Tracy and that upon the south side as Battery Huger (u-gee). 
About five miles below Blakely at the entrance to Bay Minette 
Bay and Creek was Spanish Fort. Spanish Fort already had a 
history aad took its name from the fact that it was built by the 
Spaniards during their occupation in the eighteenth century. 
January 7. 1781, it was attacked by a force of British and Ger¬ 
mans. Several unsuccessful attempts were made to carry the 
place by assault. The losses were heavy upon both sides and 
included the British commander. This engagement was the last 
attempt of Great Britain to maintain supremacy in this section 
by force of arms against Spain. After the fight they returned 
to Pensacola and in May of the same year surrendered to Galvez, 
the Spanish commander. 

The task of reducing the defenses of Mobile was entrusted by 
the Federal authorities to Maj. Gen. Edward Richard Sprig Can- 
b\\ then in command of the Federal forces in New Orleans, and 
who was destined to fall a few years later by the hand of that 
treacherous chieftain. Captain Jack of the Modocs. 


8 


■ • . ; ' i , . . 

■ ( 

STORY OF THE TENS AW 

January 26, 1865, Gen. Halleck, Chief of Staff, wrote Gen. 
Canby : “Gen. A. J. Smith with about 18,000 men and a cav¬ 
alry force of about 5,000 has been ordered to report to you at 
New Orleans.The objective is Selma or Montgomery, in¬ 

cluding the capture of Mobile or not, as you may deem best. 
Commodore Thatcher will take command in Mobile Bay with 
additional vessels to cooperate. I11 order to make your campaign 
successful while Sherman is occupying the enemy in Georgia 
and South Carolina, will require much energy of preparation 
and activity of execution. 

February 8, Gen. Smith reported from Cairo his arrival to Sec¬ 
retary Stanton and added : “I am now without a heading or 
identity for my command. Unless I receive a number ora name 
for my command, I must style myself the Wandering Tribe of 
Israel.” 

“Continue on in ybur exodus as the Wandering Tribe of Is¬ 
rael. O11 reaching the land of Canby you will have a number 
and a name,” was the answer. 

But the old adage, “The more haste the less speed” still held. 
Through the mistake of a cipher clerk Smith’s troops were land¬ 
ed at Vicksburg and the steamboats were discharged. March 7, 
Gen. Canby wrote Gen. Halleck : “For the last forty days we 
have had but seven of favorable weather. During all the rest of 
this time heavy, easterly and southeasterly gales and dense fogs 
have-prevailed, rendering the transportation of troops and sup¬ 
plies both tedious and dangerous. . . . Twelve sound steamers 
selected for service in Mississippi Sound and Mobile Bay have 
been at the passes of the Mississippi since the 26th ultimo, but 
have been unable to cross the bar.” 

March 13, Gen. Grant wrote Gen. Halleck: “Were orders 
sent placing Steele in command of the Thirteenth Corps? I re¬ 
ceived a letter from Canby today of the 1st of March. At that 
time lie said nothing about starting for Mobile. Although I 
wrote to him he must go in command himself, I have seen noth¬ 
ing from him indicating an intention to do so. In fact, I have 
seen but little from Canby to show that he intends to do or have 
anything done. ” 

March 13, Maj. A. M. Jackson reported to headquarters that 




STORY OF THE TENS AW 


9 


a plan was on foot for the blowing up of gunboats and that the 
Confederates had a submarine at Houston and four at Shreve¬ 
port. The submarines were described as follows : “The boat 
is forty feet long, forty-eight inches deep and forty inches wide, 
built entirely of iron and shaped similar to a steam boiler. The 
ends are sharp pointed. On the sides are two iron flanges (call¬ 
ed fins) for the purpose of raising and lowering tlie boat in the 
water. The boat is propelled at the rate of four miles an hour 
by means of a crank worked by two men. The wheel is on the 
propeller principle. The boat is usually worked seven feet un¬ 
der water, and has four deadlights for the purpose of steering 
or taking observations. Each boat carries two torpedoes, one 
at the bow attached to a pole twenty feet long; one on the stern 
fastened to a plank ten or twelve feet long. The air arrange¬ 
ments are so constructed as to retain sufficient air for four men 
to work and four idle two or three hours.” 

March 13. a reconnaissance was made by the 23d Iowa and 
the 20th Wisconsin as far as “Mr. Childers’ farm” and scouts 
were sent on to Bon Secour. “Mr. Childers’ farm” was the 
home of Mr. Bartholomew Childress, now known as Gasque. 

February 27th, Gen. Grant wrote a pleasant letter to Gen. 
Canby urging all speed, but it was one thing to urge and another 
to execute. The weather of the winter months of 1865 is re¬ 
flected in the dispatches from all commanders. The cavalry ex¬ 
pedition from Vicksburg that was to cooperate with Gen. Canby 
was given up as the country was impassable. The navy was to 
furnish transportation, but there were many excuses and few 
boats. It is 18 miles from Fort Morgan to Bon Secour; the 
road is very sandy and never injured by rain, but after leaving 
the peninsula the country for several miles is flat and wet, and 
to this day has no road over it. I11 his desperation Gen. Canby 
ordered material to repair the railroad from Pensacola, probably 
with the intention of joining Gen. Steele at that place. The 
requisition was referred to Gen. Grant, who answered the same 
day or rather at midnight: “You need not send an article of 
railroad material or a man to Canby.” 

But it does not always rain and even in March, 1865, there 
was a lull and on the 17th the expedition left Navy Cove. 


r 


IO 


STORY OF THE TENS AW 


Bertram’s brigade closely followed by other troops of the Thir¬ 
teenth Corps moved by land. Col. Moore’s brigade of the Six¬ 
teenth Corps was landed at Cedar Point on the west side of Mo¬ 
bile Bay and occupied Mon Louis Island ‘ ‘with as much display 
of force as possible. ’ ’ They met the Confederate skirmishers 
and drove them to the Narrows of Fowl River, and on the 22d 
embarked for Fish River. 

From Mar. 17, to the 24, was occupied in the march to Dan- 
nelly’s Mills, now River Park, upon Fish River. There were 
321 regimental wagons and 5 batteries. The reports of those 
days tell of the most fatiguing labor. The men worked in hour¬ 
ly shifts building corduroy roads or hauling by hand the teams 
and guns, or lifting the animals from the mud and quicksands. 
Even the general officers took their turn at the ropes. Day and 
night the work went on, the blazing turpentine orchards furnish¬ 
ing light by night. Several regiments took the wrong road only 
to find they were cut off by the Bon Secour River and Bay John. 
Small bodies of Confederate cavalry were always on the alert, 
at one time capturing 8 men and 14 mules from the supply train 
of Gen. Veatch’s division. 

March 19, Gen. Frederick Stetle with 12,000 men left Pensa¬ 
cola for Blakely. The road from Pensacola was not more diffi¬ 
cult than that from Fort Morgan but there was more of it. 

A hundred miles of marching and forty miles of corduroy, in 
many places the heavy trains being moved entirely by the men. 
Forty-eight hours of continuous rain and nowhere to lay down. 
The heavy rains formed a bar at the mouth of the Escambia 
River; the steamers with supplies could not come up and for 
several days there was only quarter rations. There were skir¬ 
mishes at Cotton Creek, Mitchell’s Creek, and an engagement 
at Bluff Springs where Gen. Clanton (Confederate) and 18 com¬ 
missioned officers and 111 enlisted men were captured. 

Spurling’s command (Steele’s cavalry) followed the railroad 
as far as Pollard, capturing both north and south bound trains, 
destroying considerable stores, and bringing in 120 prisoners, 
200 negroes and 250 horses and mules. 

March 31, Steele’s troops reached Stockton where they found 
corn and beef. Spur ling’s troops also came in on the 31. 


II 


STORY OF THE TENS AW 

April i, Spurling was sent ahead. About four miles from 
Blakely he found the road barricaded and charged, capturing 
the flag of the Forty-sixth Mississippi and seventy-four prison¬ 
ers and the Confederates were driven into Blakely. 

But to return to Gen. Canby whom we left at River Park. 
On March 25, all the various commands, about 32,000 men, hav¬ 
ing arrived, the Sixteenth Army Corps, Maj. Gen. A. J. Smith, 
commanding, coming from Dauphin Island by transport, the 
entire army except Bertram’s brigade moved by the direct road 
to Deer Park where they encamped for the night. Bertram’s 
brigade moved by the Montrose road, crossing Flying Creek at 
the upper ford and camping on the south side of Rock Creek. 
On March 26, the Sixteenth Corps moved to the south branch 
of Bay Minette Creek, threatening both Spanish Fort and Blake¬ 
ly. Gen. Granger, with Veatch’s and Benton’s divisions moved 
toward Spanish Fort. Bertram moved up the bay road halting 
at the lower crossing of D’Olive’s Creek. The Confederates 
were in order of battle north of the creek but owing to the flank¬ 
ing movement of the Sixteenth Corps fell back into Spanish Fort 
and Blakely, destroying the lower bridge on Bay Minette Creek 
cutting off their own communication except by water. 

O11 the 27th Garrard’s division established an entrenched camp 
to cover the right and rear of the army and the investment of 
Spanish Fort was completed in the following order : Carr’s div¬ 
ision, resting upon Bay Minette Creek occupied the extreme 
right, then McArthur, Benton, Veatch and Bertram, the latter’s 
left resting on the impassable marsh that borders upon D’Olive’s 
Creek. These movements were sharply contested and the cas¬ 
ualties were considerable, particularly in the Sixteenth Corps, 
the right of which was exposed to the fire of the gunboats and 
of Huger and Tracy. 

On the 26th the Engineer Brigade under Gen. Bailey left 
Navy Cove going by transport to Stark’s Landing, near Jackson 
Oaks. At this place a depot was established for the handling 
of all supplies for the army. Six wharves from 300 to 500 feet 
long were built and over these the sick and wounded were re¬ 
moved to New Orleans and all prisoners were sent to Ship Island. 

On the 30th Veatclie’s division was withdrawn from the line 


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0 


12 


STORY OF THE TENS AW 


of investment and sent to Holyoke with 75 wagon loads of sup¬ 
plies for Gen. Steele. April 2, a strong attack was made by the 
Confederates upon the troops investing Blakely, but was repul¬ 
sed by the colored troops, and Andrew’s division having come 
up, Veatcli was ordered in from Holyoke. April 3, Garrard 
was ordered to complete the investment of Blakely on the left, 
and Lucas’ and Johnson’s cavalry brigades were charged with 
the duty of covering the rear of the army. 

April 5, the lower bridge on Bay Minette Creek was reestab¬ 
lished and Spanish Foil; and Blakely were both included in the 
same general line of investment. The inner line was about 17 
miles and the outer line about 22 miles in length. The country 
within these lines is very broken, with many small streams and 
ravines and much impassable marsh. 

April 5, a salute of a hundred shotted guns was fired in honor 
of national victories. 

April 8, there were in position against Spanish Fort 53 siege 
guns (including ten 20-pounder rifles and sixteen mortars) and 
37 field pieces. The battery upon Bay Minette Hill operating 
against Batteries Huger and Tracy consisted of two ioo-pounder 
and four 30-pounder rifles. 

Three gunboats, the Milwaukie, Osage, and Rondolph were 
the toll of the torpedoes at the mouth of the river. 

Spanish Fort was defended by less than 2,000 men command¬ 
ed by Brig. Gen. Randall L. Gibson* (afterward U. S. senator 
from Louisiana); his account is the best we have of an utterly 
hopeless and useless defense in a cause that fate had already 
deserted. Gen, Gibson says : 

“For the first ten days my artillery, aided by well-trained 
sharpshooters, was able to cope with that of the enemy, some¬ 
times silencing his guns, and often broke up his working parties; 
but after this time it was evident from his overwhelming re¬ 
sources in men and guns, that it would be impossible with the 
means at my disposal to arrest his gradual advance. While he 

* The garrison commander, Gen. Gibson, was competant and active, and inspired his 
troops with enthusiasm. . . Second to him in command was Gen. Holtzclaw, also an ac¬ 
complished and earnest officer. In fact the officers and troops comprising the garrison 
were remnants of many historic campaigns, and possessed no small share of culture 
and spirit. Maj. Gen, C. C. Andrew’s "The Mobile Campaign.” 


0 



i3 


STORY OF THE TENS AW 

was steadily digging up to our front and flanks, his fleet kept 
up a well-directed and heavy fire in our rear, and mortars drop¬ 
ped over the entire surface shells of the largest size ; his batter¬ 
ies in rear of his right flank bombarded Batteries Huger and 
Tracy. ... I found by the 8th of April that my artillery was 
about silenced... . . Not an officer or a man had taken any un¬ 
broken rest, except such as they could snatch while on duty in 
the main works. When there was no fighting there was cut¬ 
ting, digging, moving ammunition, taking down and putting up 
heavy guns, and repairing damages. . . . Shortly after dark 
while the firing was heavy from all points, and especially upon 
the flanks, the enemy broke through the lines upon the extreme 
left, completely turned the flank of the main works, and cap¬ 
tured some of the men in them. . . . My standing orders from 
Maj. Gen. D. H. Maury, commanding District of the Gulf, had 
been not to hold Spanish Fort after the garrison was in danger 
of capture. . . . The guns were ordered to be spiked and time 
was allowed for this purpose ; the few remaining stores were is¬ 
sued ; the sick and wounded were carefully removed; and, fi¬ 
nally, in good order the whole garrison was withdrawn. The 
retreat was along a narrow treadway, about 18 inches wide, 
which ran from a small peninsula from the left flank across the 
river, and over a broad marsh .to a deep channel opposite Bat¬ 
tery Huger. It was about 1,200 yards long, and commanded 
throughout by the enemy’s heavy batteries. It was concealed 
by the high grass and covered by moss, and the troops pulled off 
their shoes, and succeeded in retiring without attracting the at¬ 
tention of the enemy.” 

April 9, 1865 was Palm Sunday : I11 a little parlor at Appo¬ 
mattox Grant and Tee arranged the details of the surrender of 
the Army of Northern Virginia, but upon the Teusaw none 
knew, and Bertram was left to guard the prisoners and collect 
the spoils of victory, while the others went 011 to Blakely. 

For a week, the sappers* at Blakely had dug slowly toward 

* How different from There it was charge ! charge ! charge ! Here a 

little more good sense is shown, and a regard had for human life; and the end ap¬ 
proaches much more rapidly. From "Diary of an Artillery Officer. 

Quoted in Maj. Gen. C. C. Andrew’s "The Mobile Campaign.” 


r 


T 4 


STORY OF THE TENS AW 


tlie Tensaw. Early in the morning four more 30-pounder Par¬ 
rotts were mounted on Bay Minette Hill to play upon Blakely 
Landing and the Tensaw to cut off communication with Mobile. 
During the day all troops were maneuvered into position and at 
5.30 p. m. the assault was ordered. The Ninety-seventh Illin¬ 
ois deployed as skirmishers led the center and following, 35 regi¬ 
ments, more than 16,000 men rushed over the torpedoes, abatis 
and slashings, and in less than 20 minutes resistance was over. 
The Seventy-sixth Illinois charged Redoubt No. 3, just north 
of the Stockton Road entering by the south salient and suffered 
greatest loss, 16 killed and 82 wounded; 5 men were killed and 
15 wounded inside of the redoubt. The total Federal loss in the 
assault was 127 killed and 527 wounded; many mortally. The 
Confederate loss at Blakely is unknown ; at Spanish Fort, was 93 
killed and 350 wounded. The total loss of the Federal army in 
the campaign was 232 killed and 1,403 wounded. 

But Huger and Tracy still held : more guns were mounted on 
Bay Minette Hill; as fast as they could be unspiked, the guns 
of Spanish Fort were turned to the north ; the Octorara crossed 
the bar and men went ashore and beat down the cane-brake until 
the gunners could see Huger; knowing that they must evacu¬ 
ate, the garrisons were lavish in the use of ammunition. April 
11, the firing was furious—it was the last day of the great guns 
in the Civil War and their roar was instinct with hatred and 
death ; only in the graves was there peace. At nightfall the 
garrisons embarked for Mobile and before morning the signal 
for evacuation went up from the marsh in front of the city. 

On the 12th, Gen. Granger with the First and Third Divisions 
of the Thirteenth Corps crossed the bay landing below the city ; 
they soon met Mayor R. H. Slough carrying a flag of truce and 
upon their arrival in the city he signed the surrender, saying : 
“I trust gentlemen, for the sake of humanity, all the safeguards 
which you can throw around our people will be secured to them. ’ 1 

Note.-- The works at Blakely were commanded by Brig. Gen. St. John R. Liddell. 

Battery Huger, by Major Washington Marks, Twenty-second Louisiana Artillery. 

Battery Tracy, by Capt. A. A. Patsmier, of the same regiment. 

Montrose, by Capt. William C. Wipston. 




STORY OF THE TENSAW 


15 


The People Rule 

The Civil War was a consequent of individual wrong doing; 
the resultant of a low moral condition that follows the very gen¬ 
eral belief that virtue is inconsistent with gain. The ships of 
New England hovered about the African coast and slaves made 
a profitable cargo ; Northern and English manufacturers desired 
cheap cotton and were indifferent as to the manner of produc¬ 
tion ; the Northern states abolished slavery within their borders, 
but individuals sold their slaves in the South —the sore festered 
and broke, and the American nation paid the extreme penalty. 

The present generation has seen a war in which practically 
the whole world engaged which resulted in merely an armed 
truce. The sole cause of that war was the belief that has grown 
into the minds of the people that human welfare is dependant 
upon trade and barter, or as it is too often phrased “commercial 
supremacy”; the manipulation, and not the production of goods. 
After the Civil War, the South, altlio wasted by four years of 
war, was self-supporting as soon as a crop could be raised, but 
the World War is followed by years of starvation because the 
despoiled nations are trying to recover by trading, by borrowing, 
and by printing worthless money instead of producing food. 

The tillage of the soil is the primal occupation of man. There 
is no substitute for food. People in the cities of Europe are 
starving altlio they have seemingly reached the goal for which 
they have striven for centuries. Land is free, but who wants 
land ? The people rule , and their crazy governments are trying 
to feed them by negotiating foreign loans; by “stabilizing ex¬ 
change”; and by appeals to charity. 

In America we are destroying in peace what Europe destroyed 
by war. Public and private indebtedness is appalling. A ma¬ 
jority of our people are merely wage workers and it matters not 
to them whether the work is constructive or destructive as long 
as it brings food. We are destroying our natural resources to 
keep them employed, and while they toil, pur rivers, with their 
millions of foot tons of perpetual motion flow unharnessed to 
the sea. “Be not deceived, God is not mocked; for whatsoever 
a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” 




16 STORY OF THE TENSAW 

Jackson Oaks and Fort Mims 

Written in 1912 

Mobile Bay lias been the scene of many stirring events in 
American history. 1 Here were the first French settlements upon 
the Gulf Coast. Occupied successivly by France, Great Brit¬ 
ain and Spain, it has now been for a hundred years a part of 
the American union. It was once the lair of the pirates of the 
Carribean. It witnessed the greatest naval struggle of modern 
times. It bears the commerce of the second largest system of 
rivers in the United States, and is destined to become the gate¬ 
way of American trade through the west to the East. 

At the head of the bay on the western side of the delta is the 
City of Mobile. Occupying a similar position on the eastern 
side of the bay and delta, at the mouth of the Tensaw, is Jack- 
son Oaks. As Mobile is easily accessible from the Tensaw, its 
mouth is a strategic point and Jackson Oaks with its level 
ground so suitable for military maneuvers, because of its giant 
oaks and the pure water of its streams has been the ideal camp¬ 
ing ground for military forces : For these reasons Jackson Oaks 
was the most important settlement upon the eastern shore in 
colonial days and until the War of 1812 was called The Village. 

Oct. 20/1763 as one of the results of the Seven Years War 
the British troops occupied Mobile and the French retired to 
New Orleans ;• as the British also came into possession of West 
Florida by the same treaty, The Village became the eastern ter¬ 
minal of the ferry over which traffic passed to Pensacola and the 
east. For sixteen years Mobile was ruled by an English gov¬ 
ernor but March 1, 1780 it was invested by a Spanish force un¬ 
der Bernardo de Galvez, Captain-General of Caracas; 011 Mar. 
14, altho reenforcements from Pensacola had arrived at The 
Village, Captain Dunford surrendered to the Spanish command¬ 
er. The British reenforcements having returned to Pensacola 
the Spaniards fortified a hill.north of The Village commanding 
the river. In January, 1781, the fort was attacked by a force 
of British and Germans from Pensacola ; O11 the 7th several at¬ 
tempts were made to carry the fort by assault. The losses were 
heavy on both sides and included the British commander. 


STORY OR THE TKNSAW 


17 


The British returned to Pensacola and in May surrendered to • 
Galvez thus ending the rule of Great Britain in the South. For 
thirty-three years Mobile was a Spanish colony. 

Let us go back a hundred years. France was an empire and 
her Corsican emperor was on the way to Moscow with no 
thought of St. Helena. Little was known of the Oldest Conti¬ 
nent beyond the tales told by the traders who bargained under 
the guns of their own ships. The Dark Continent had a few 
settlements upon its coast. Upon the Western Continent a new 
and lusty nation had sprung into being and all else was desert. 

A boat propelled by steam was upon the Hudson, and Ben 
Franklin had caught some electricity in a bottle. 

The United States and Great Britain were at war. The Ind¬ 
ians, ever jealous of the white man’s encroachments and too of¬ 
ten the victim of his intrigue and duplicity, were committing 
depredation and murder along the southwestern frontier. Fort 
Mims, a stockade upon Boatyard Lake in the Tensaw settle¬ 
ment, was selected for a general assault. The fort was garri¬ 
soned by about 150 men under Maj. Daniel Beasley of the Mis¬ 
sissippi Volunteers ; in the fort were also 24 white families and 
about 100 negroes. The garrison had been repeatedly warned 
of danger but it was not considered immediate. There was 
plenty to eat and more to drink. The fiddle squeaked and the 
dance went round. The sentries nodded at their posts. Aug. 
30, 1813 they awoke to find the Creeks within 30 yards of the 
open gate. The inmates took refuge within the inner itielosure, 
the blockhouse and dwellings. The fight raged for hours but 
when it was over the work of the torch, the tomahawk and the 
scalping knife was complete. Less than thirty of the inmates 
escaped. 

A few days later an expedition under Captain Kennedy left 
The Village in a flatboat to bury the dead ; but there was too 
much whisky aboard and the crew was soon helpless in a hos¬ 
tile country. The captain put the man who brought the whisky 
in a barrel for safe keeping ; upon the recovery of the crew 
they went to the fort where they buried. 247 bodies. 

The massacre at Fort Mims was the death warrant of the 
Creek nation. Gen. Claiborne entered their country from the 


i8 • 


STORY OK THE TENS AW 


southwest. Gen. Floyd came from Georgia. From the Ten¬ 
nessee came Andrew Jackson. It was a war of extermination. 
The final massacre of the Creeks was by the troops of Jackson 
and Coffee at Horseshoe Bend on the Alabama River Mar. 27, 
1814, and the scattered remnants of tbe tribe were placed upon 
the peninsula at the lower end of Mobile Bay. 

Jackson’s troops then came to Mobile. The British were mak¬ 
ing free use of the Spanish port of Pensacola and Jackson’s re¬ 
monstrance was ignored. Although we were not at war with 
Spain, Jackson took the responsibility of an attack. Crossing 
to The Village with 3,000 troops he arrived at Pensacola on the 
6th of November. The Spanish governor wished to negotiate 
but Jackson had not come to talk, so the British blew up the 
fort, went aboard their ships and put to sea. Two days later 
Jackson was back to The Village. 

The great oak under which Jackson’s tent was pitched has 
for a century been known as Jackson’s Oak, and the village 
which strangely Enough had been all but nameless through so 
many years of turbulent history came to be known as Jackson 
Oaks. The road leading across Baldwin County to Pensacola 
has long been known as the Jackson Trail. 

But we do not always war and The Village saw many years 
of peace and plenty, but peace and plenty have ?io history. 

In 1803, Louis Dolive (D’Olive) settled upon the bluff north 
of Yancy’s Creek ; he was a progenitor of many people now liv¬ 
ing in this vicinity. Win. Yancy, a survivor of Fort Mim§, 
and an authority upon local history died here aged 97. 

I11 the Dolive Burial Ground are Louis Dolive, 1769-1841 ; 
his wife Louise Le Fleau, 1782-1840; a son Marone, 1803-30; 

a son Medrick, 1812-84 ; a daughter Louisa,-1864, and her 

husband Maj. Lewis Stark, 1799-1872, and others. One is a 
double grave—mother and son : 


Et 

Son Enfant EDWARD 
fils de R. H. Dolive 

deceda le premier March, 1837, age 18 mois 


Ici Repose 

ANNEYS LAURENDIN 
El deceda le trois March, 1837 
age de 30 ans 


Nothing remains of The Old Village today but the tombs— 
mute memorials of the past ; silent monitors teaching to the 



STORY OK THIJ TENS AW 


19 


Old Blakely 

Ten miles northeast of Mobile upon the eastern shore of the 
Alabama River delta is the site of the former Town of Blake¬ 
ly. It is difficult to realize that the wooded slope with its three 
negro cabins was once a populous town with handsome dwell¬ 
ings, stores, hotels, and a cotton gin, and for more than forty 
years the capital of Baldwin County. The line of grand old 
oaks was once known as Washington Avenue and under them 
overgrown by tangled vines are heaps of bricks—all that remains 
of the homes of Old Blakely. 

The traditions tell of the first steamboat upon the Tensaw 
which was so top-heavy that a huge cypress log was attached 
to each side and boat and logs made four miles an hour to Mo¬ 
bile. The yellow fever came and the living only buried the 
dead and waited. Then came *the war and Forrest’s cavalry 
came and turned their horses into the corn fields, and the chil¬ 
dren of Blakely went hungry. 

A thousand feet up the hill is the Washington Spring and we 
drink, standing upon the hollow logs that once carried its pure 
water down to the town. At the top of the hill are the Con¬ 
federate lines, their lunettes and salients frowning across the ra¬ 
vine at the long lines of sap and parallel where the invader dug 
slowly toward the Tensaw. Between the lines is the old ceme¬ 
tery, its monument bearing the story of old days, the last record 
writ with bullets. The inscriptions are as follows: 

Died in this place Dec. 1, 1822, James W. Peters. 3d son of Gen. Absalom 
Peters. Aged 31 years. Who, with his partner Russell Stebbins, emigrated 
from New York to this county in 1816. These two with a few other enter¬ 
prising young gentlemen from the North commenced in the wilderness and 
founded the Town of Blakely in 1817. 

Horatio Butler, son of the Rev. D. Butler of the City of Troy .iN. Y. Died 
at this place Aug. 4. 1820. Aged 28 years. 

Henry Boyd, son of Gen. William Boyd of the City of New York. Died at 
this place of malignant fever. Nov. 27. 1822. Aged 21 years. 

Major Geo. P. Peters of the U. S. Army; 2d son of Gen. Absalom Peters 
of New Hampshire. Departed this life at Fort Gadsden, E. F. where he was 
in command. Nov. 28, 1819. Aged 30 years. 

Mrs. Loraine Hitchcock Peters, Consort of Major Geo. P. Peters. Died 
at Burlington, Vt.. April 22. 1815. Aged 25 years. 

Ira Hempstead, son of Isaac Hempstead. Esq. of the City of Albanv, N. Y. 
Died at this place July 20. 1818. Aged 19 years. 

James Stebbins, 2d son of Nathan Stebbins of Ridgefield. Conn. Died at 
this place by a fall from a horse. Nov. 10. 1818. Aged 22 years. 


* 


I 

STORY OF THE TENSAW 


APPENDIX A. 


Organization of the Union Forces, commanded by Maj. Gen. 
Edward R. S. Canby, operating against Mobile, Ala., 
March 17—April 12, 1865. 

ENGINEER BRIGADE. 

Brig. Gen. Joseph Bailey. 

96th U. S. Colored Troops, Col. John C. Cobb. 

97th U. S. Colored Troops : 

Lieut. Col. George A. Harraount. 

Col. George I). Robinson. 

1st Company of Pontoniers, Capt. John J. Smith. 

* 

SIEGE TRAIN. 

Brig. Gen. James Totten. 

1st Indiana Heavy Artillery, Companies B, C. II, I, K, L, and M. 

Col. Benjamin F. Hays. 

New York Light Artillery, i8th Battery,Capt. Albert G. Mack. 

THIRTEENTH ARMY CORPS. 

Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger. 

MORTAR BATTERIES. 

6th Michigan Heavy Artillery. Company A, Capt. Seldon F. Craig. 

6th Michigan Heavy Artillery. Company K, Lieut. Charles \Y. Wood. 

FIRST DIVISION. 

Brig. Gen. James C. Veatch. * 


First Brigade. 

Brig. Gen. James R. Slack. 

99th Illinois (five companies). Lieut. 

Col. Asa C. Matthews. 

47th Indiana, Lieut. Col. John A. 

McLaughlin. 

21st Iowa, Lieut. Col, Salue G. Van Anda. 

29th Wisconsin, Lieut. Col. Bradford Hancock. 


Second Brigade. 

Brig. Gen. Flias S. Dennis. 

8th Illinois, Col. Josiah A. Sheet/, 
nth Illinois, Col, James II. Coates. 
46th Illinois. Col. Benj. Dornblaser. 


0 


STORY OF THE TENSAW 

Third Brigade. 

Lieut. Col. William B. Kinsey. 

29th Illinois, Lieut. Col. John. A. Callicott. 

30th Missouri (four companies), Lieut. Col. William T. Wilkinson. 
i6jsi New Y01k, Maj. Willis E. Craig. 

23d Wisconsin, Maj. Joseph E. Green. 

ARTII.LKRY. 

Capt. George W. Pox. 

Massachusetts Light, 4th BAttery (D), Lieut. George W. Taylor. 
Massachusetts Light, 7th Battery (G), Capt. Newman W. Storer. 

SKCONI> DIVISION. 

Brig. Gen. Christopher C. Andrews. 

First Brigade. Second Brigade. 

Col. Ilenrv Bertram. • Col. William T. Spiccly. 

94th Illinois, Col. John McNulta. 76th Illinois: 

19th Iowa, Lieut. Col. John Bruce. Col. Samuel T. Busey. 

23d Iowa, Col. Samuel L. Glasgow. Lieut. Col. Charles C. Jones. 

20th Wisconsin, Lieut. Col. Henry 97th Illinois, Lieut. Col. Victor Vif 
A. Starr. quain. 

1st Missouri Light • Artillery, Bat- 24th Indiana, Lieut. Col. Francis A 
tery F, Capt. Joseph Foust. . Sears. 

69th Indiana (four companies): 
Lieut. Col. Oran Perry. 
Capt. Lewis K. Harris. 

Third Brigade. 

.* • 4 ^ 

Col. Frederick W. Moore. 

• 37th Illinois, Col. Charles Black. 

20th Io\ya,. Lieut. Col. Joseph B. Leake. 

34th Iowa. Col. George W. Clark. 

83d Ohio. Lieut. Col. William H. Baldwin. 

1 i4th'.Ohio. Col. John li. Kelly, 

ARTILLERY. 

Connecticut Light. 2d Battery, Capt. Walter S. Hotchkiss. 
Massachusetts Light, 15th Battery, Lieut. Albert Rowse. 


r . 




STORY OF THE TENS AW 


THIRD DIVISION. 

Brig. Gen. William 1 *. Benton. 


First Brigade. 

Col. David. P, Grier, 

2S1 1 1 Illinois : 

Lieut. Col. Richard Ritter. 

Maj. Ilinman Rhodes. 

77th Illinois. Lieut. Col. John B. Reid. 
96th Ohio (five companies), Lieut. Col. 

Albert H. Brown. 

35th Wisconsin, Col. Henry Orff. 

Third 


Second Brigade. 

Col. Henry M. Day. 

91st Illinois. Lieut. Col. Geo. A. Day. 
50th Indiana (five companies), Lieut, 
C<> 1 . Samuel T. Wells. 

29th Iowa, Col. Thos. II. Benton. Jr, 
71I1 Vermont. Col. Wm.C. Holbrook, 


Brigade. 


Col. Conrad Krez. 

33d Iowa, Col. Cyrus 11 . Mackey. 

77th Ohio, Lieut. Col. William. K. Stevens. 

27th Wisconsin, Capt. Charles II. Cunningham. 
281I1 Wisconsin, Lieut. Col. Edmund B. Gray. 

A K'I'll, I.EH V. 

New York Light, 2ist Battery, Capt. James Barnes. 
New York Light, 261I1 Batteiy, Lieut. Adam Beattie. 

SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS. 


Maj. Gen. Andrew J. Smith. 
I’ONTONIKRS. 

1141I1 Illinois, Maj. John M. Joiinson. 


FIRST 
Brig. Gen. 
First Brigade. 

Col. William L. McMillen. 

33d Illinois, Col. Chas. E. Lippincott. 
26th Indiana. Col. John G. Clark. 

93d Indiana, Col. DeWitt C. Thomas. 
10th Minnesota. Lieut. Col. Samuel 
P. Jennison. 

72 Ohio, Lieut. Col. Chas. G. Eaton. 
951I1 Ohio. Lieut. Col. Jefferson Brum- 
back , 


VISION, 
hn McArthur. 

Second* Brigade. 

Col. Lucius F. Hubbard. 

471I1 Illinois : 

Maj. Edward Bonham. 

Col. David W. Magee. 

5th Minnesota, Lieut. Coi. William B. 

, Gele. 

9th Minnesota, Col. J<>^iah F. Marsh. 
11 th Missouri, Maj. Modest a J. Green. 
Stii Wisconsin, Lieut. Col. William 
B. Britton. 


STORY OF THK TKNSAW 


Third Brigade. 

Col. William R. Marshall. 

12tli Iowa, Maj. Samuel G. Knee. 

35th Iowa, Lieut. Col. William B. Keeler. 

7th Minnesota, Lieut. Col. George Bradley. 
33d Missouri. Lieut. Col. William H. Heath. 

A RTII.I.KRY. 

Indiana Light, 3d Battery, Capt. Thomas J. Ginn. 
Iowa Light, 2d Battery. Capt. Joseph R. Reed. 


SKCONI) DIVISION. 

Brig. Gen. Kenner Garrard. 


First Brigade. 

Col. John I. Rinacker. 

119th Illinois, Col. Tlios. J. Kinney. 
122(1 Illinois: 

Lieut. Col. James F. Drisli, 
Maj. James F. Chapman. 

89th Indiana, Lieut. Col. Hervey 
Craven. 

21st Missouri. Capt. Charles W. 

1 racy. 


Second Brigade. 

Brig. Gen. James I. Gilbert. 

117th Illinois, Col. Risdon M. Moore. 
27th Iowa, Maj. Geo. W. Howard. 
32d Iowa, Lieut. Col. Gustavus A. 
Eberhart. 

10th Kansas (fourcompanies). Lieut. 

Col. Charles S. Hills. 

6th Minnesota, l.ieut. Col. Hiram 
P. Grant. 

Brigade. 


Third 

Col. Charles L. Harris. 


58th Illinois (four companies), Capt. John Murphy. 
52d Indiana, Lieut. Col. Zalmon S. Main. 

34th New Jersey, Col. William Hudson Lawrence. 
178th New York. Lieut. Col. John B. Gandolfo. 

11 th Wisconsin, Maj. Jesse S. Miller. 

THIRD DIVISION. 


Brig. Gen. Eugene A. Carr. 


First Brigade. 

Col. Jonathan B. Moore. 

72<l Illinois, Col. Joseph Stockton. 

95th Illinois, Col. Leander Blanden. 
44th Missouri, Capt. F. G. Hopkins. 
33d Wisconsin, Col. Horatio II. Virgin. 


Second Brigade. 

Col. Lyman M. Ward. 

40th Missouri, Col. S. A. Holmes. 
49th Missouri, Col. David P. Dyer. 
14th Wisconsin, Maj. Eddy F. Ferris. 


STORY OF THE TKNSAW 


Third Brigade. 

Col. James L. Geddes. 

8ist Illinois, Lieut. Col. Andrew W. Rodgers. 

108th Illinois, Col. Charles Turner. 

124th Illinois. Bvt. Col. John II. Howe. 

8th Iowa, Lieut. Col. William B. Bell. 

ARTILLERY BRIGADE. 

Capt. John W. Lowell. 

Illinois Light, Cogswell’s battery. Lieut. William R. Elting. 
2d Indiana Light, Battery G, Lieut. Perry Wilch. 

Indiana Light. 1st Battery, Capt. Lawrence Jacoby. 

Indiana Light, 14th Battery, Capt. Francis W. Morse. 

Ohio Light, 17th Battery, Capt. Charles S. Rice. 


COLUMN FROM PENSACOLA BAY, FLORIDA.* 


Maj. Gen. Frederick Steele. 

FIRST DIVISION. 

I 


Brig. Gen. Joh 
First Brigade. 

Brig. Gen. William A. Pile. 

73d U. S. Colored Troops, Lieut. 

Col. Henry C. Merriam. 

82d U. S. Colored Troops, Col. Lad- 
islas L. Zulavsky. 

86th U. S. Colored Troops, Lieut. 
Col. George E. Yarrington. 


P. Hawkins. 

Second Brigade. 

Col. Hiram Scofield. 

47th U. S. Colored Troops, Lieut. 

Col. Ferdinand E. Peebles. 

50th U. S. Colored Troops, Col. 

Charles A. Gilchrist. 

51st U. S. Colored Troops, Col. A. 
Watson Webber. 


Third Brigade. 


Col. Charles W. Drew. 


48th U. S, Colored Troops. Col. Frederick M. Crandall. 
68th U. S. Colored Troops: 

Col. J. Blackburn Jones. 

Lieut. Col. Daniel Densmore. 

76th U. S. Colored Troops, Maj. William E. Nye. 


*The Second and Third Brigades and the artillery of the Second Division of the 
Thirteenth Army Corps, under General Andrews, were attached to the “Column from 
Pensacola." 




r 

STORY OF THE TENSAW 
CAVALRY. 

Brig. Gen. Thomas J. Lucas. 

First Brigade. Second Brigade. 

Col.Morgan H. Chrysler. Lieut. Col. Andrew B. Spurling. 

1st Louisiana, Lieut. Col. Algernon 1st Florida, Capt. Francis Lyons. 
S. Badger, 2d Illinois. Maj. Franklin Moore. 

31st Massachusetts (mounted infantry), 2d Maine, Maj. Charles A. Miller. 
Lieut. Col. Edward I*. Nettleton. 

2d New York Veteran, Lieut. Col. 

Asa L. Gurney. 

ARTILLERY. 

Massachusetts Light, 2d Battery (B), Capt. William Marland. 

FIRST DIVISION. 

Brig. Gen. Joseph F. Knipe. 


First Brigade. 

Col. Joseph Karge. 

12th Indiana, Maj. W. II. Calkins. 
2(i New Jersey, Lieut. Col. P. J. 
Yorke. 

4th Wisconsin, Col. W. P. Moore. 


Second Brigade. 

Col. Gilbert M. L. Johnson. 

10th Indiana, Maj. Geo. R. Swallow. 
131I1 Indiana, Lieut. Col. William T. 
Pepper. 

4th Tennessee, Lieut. Col. Jacob M. 
Thornburgh. 


ARTILI.KRY. 

Ohio Light, 14th Battery, Capt. William C. Myers. 

DISTRICT OF SOUTH ALABAMA. 

Brig. Gen. T. Kilbv Smith. 

DAUPHIN ISLAND. 


Lieut. Col. Byron Kirby. 

3d Maryland Cavalry (6 companies), Capt. Eli I). Grinder. 

6;h Michigan Heavy Artillery, Companies C, E, F. II, and I, Capt. Seymour 
Howell. 


MOBILE POINT. 

Lieut. Col. Charles E. Clarke. 

1st Michigan Light Artillery, Battery G. Lieut. George L. Stillman. 

6th Michigan Heavy Artillery, Companies B. D, and G,Maj. Harrison Soule. 


C, 


r 



\ 

\ 

STORY OF THE TKNSAW 


APPENDIX B. 


Organization of troops in the District of the Gulf, Mnj. Gen. 
Dabney H. Maury, C. S. Army, commanding, March io, 1865. 

Col. Thomas H. Taylor. 

City Battalion, Special service (four 
companies), Maj. Wm. Hartwell. 
Pelham Cadets Battalion, Capt. 1 *. 
Williams. Jr. 


Brig. Gen. Bryan M. Thomas. 
1st Alabama Reserves, Col. Daniel 
E. Huger. 

2<1 Alabama Reserves, Lieut. Col. 
Junius A. Law. 


21st Alabama. Lieut. Col. James M. Williams. 


Brig. Gen. Randall L. Gibson. 

1st, i6th, and 20th Louisiana. Lieut. 
Col. Robert Ii. Lindsay. 

4th and 25th Louisiana. Col, Fran¬ 
cis C. Zacharie. 

19th Louisiana, Maj. C. Flournoy. 

4th, 13th, and 301 h Louisiana, — . 
Battalion Sharpshooters, Col. Francis L, 


Iloltzclaw's Brigade. 

18th Alabama, Capt. A. C. Greene. 
32<1 and 58th Alabama, Col. Bush rod 
Jones. 

361 h Alabama, Col. T. H. Herndon. 
38th Alabama, Capt. C. E. Bussey. 

Campbell. 


SAPPERS ANI) MINERS. 

Capt. L. Hutchinson. 

Hutchinson’s company, Lieut. R. Mbldleton. 
Vernon’s company, Lieut. J. Armstrong. 


Brig. Gen. Francis M. Cockrell. 


Col. James. McCown 
1st and 3d Missouri, Capt. Joseph 
H. Neal. 

1st and 4th Missouri, Capt. Charles 
L. Edmondson. 

2d and 6th Missouri, Lieut. Col. S. 
Cooper. 

3d and 5th Missouri, Capt. Benj. E. 
Guthrie. 

Steede’s (Mississippi) cavalry bat- 
tallion. Maj. Abner C. Sleede. 
Abbav’s battery. Capt. G. F. Abbav. 


Col. David Coleman. 

29th North Carolina, Capt. John W. 
Gudger. 

39th North Carolina, Maj. Paschal C. 
Hughes. 

9th Texas, Lieut. Col. M. A. Dillard, 
loth Texas Cavalry, Capt. J. Ziegler. 
14th “ Col. A. Harris. 

32(1 “ “ Capt. Nathan 

Anderson. 


O' 


STORY OF THE TF.NSAW 



Col. Thomas N. Adaire. 

4th Mississippi, Maj. Thomas P. Nelson. 

7th “ (battalion), Capt. Samuel I). Harris. 
35th “ Capt. George W. Oden. 

36th “ Lieut. Col. Edward Brown. 

39th “ Capt. C. W. Gallaher. 

46th “ Capt. J. A. Barwick. 


Brig. Gen. James II. Clanton. 

3d Alabama Reserves, Major Strickland. 

6th “ Cavalry, Lieut. Col. Washington T. Larv. 

8th “ “ Lieut, Col. Thomas L. Faulkner. 

Keyser’s detachment, Capt. Joseph C. Keyser. 


Armistead’s Cavalry Brigade. Maury’s Command. 

8th Alabama, Col. Charles P. Ball. 15th Confederate, Col. Iicnry Maury. 
16th. Confederate, Lieut. Col. Philip Tobin’s battery, Capt. Thus. F. Tobin. 
B. Spence. 

Lewis’ battalion, Maj. W. V. Harrell. 


ARTILLERY RESERVES, ETC. 


LEFT WING, DEFENSES OF MOBILE. 
Col. Charles A. Fuller. 


Artillery. 

Maj. Henry A. Clinch. 

1st Louisiana, Company C, Capt. J. 
H. Lamon. 

1st Louisiana, Company I, Capt. E. 
G. Butler. 

Coffin’s (Virginia) artillery, Lieut. J. 
B. Humphreys. 

State Reserves, Capt. W. II. Homer. 

“ “ Lieut. R. H. Bush. 

Barry’s battery, Lieut. R. L. Wat¬ 
kins. > 

Young’s battery, Capt. A. J. Young. 


Batteries. 

Lieut. Col. L. Iloxton. 

Dent’s battery. Capt. S. H. Dent. 
Douglas’ battery, Lieut. Ben. Hardin. 
Eufaula Battery,. I.ieul. William H. 
Woods.- ' \ 

Fenner’s battery, Lieut. W. T. Clu- 
_ verius. 

Garrity’s battery, Capt. Jas. Garrity. 
Rice’s battery, Capt. T» W. Rice. 
Thrall’s battery, Capt. J. C. Thrall. 


f 


2 


Jr 

STORY OF THE TENSAW 


RIGHT WING, DKFENSF.S OF MOBILE. 

Col. Melanctimn Smith. 

Capt. Charles L. Luinsden. Capt. Cuthbert II. Slocomh, 

Phillips’ battery, Capt. J. W. Phillips. 


Lovelace’s liatlery, Lieut. William 
M. Seidell. 

Ltnnsden's battery, Lieut. A. C. Har¬ 
grove. 

Maj. James T. Gee. 

Perry’s battery, Capt. Thos. J. Perry. 
Phelan's battery. Capt. John Phelan. 
Turner’s battery, Capt. William 11 . 
Turner. 

1st Alabama Artillery (detachment), 
Lieut. P. Lee Hammond. 


Ritter’s battery, Capt. Wm. L. Ritter. 
Slocomb’s battery, Lieut. J. Ad. Chal- 
aron. 

Capt. John II. Grayson. 
Cowan’s battery, Capt. Jas. J. Cowan. 
Culpeper’s batterv, Lieut. J. L. Moses. 
Tarrant’s battery, Capt. Edward Tar¬ 
rant. 

Winston’s battery, Capt. William C. 
Winston. 


BATTERIES, ETC. 


Col. William E. Burnet. 


11 atterv McIntosh. 

Maj. W. C. Capers. 

1st Louisiana Artillery, Companies 
A and I). 

1st Mississippi Artillery,Company L. 

Battery Tilghman. 

Green’s (Kentucky) battery, Lieut. 
II. S. Quisenberrv. 


Picket Fleet. 

1st Mississippi Artillery (four com¬ 
panies), Maj. Jeff. L. Wofford. 


Battery Gladden. 

Capt. Richard C. Bond. 

2d Alabama ArtilleVy, Companies C 
and E. 

i : Louisiana Artillery, Companies 11 
and G. 

Battery Missouri. 

Capt. James Gibney. 

22(1 Louisiana Regiment, Companies 
E and K. 

Holmes’ light battery. 

Battery Buchanan. 

Crew Gun-Boat Gaines, Capt. P. U. 
Murphy. 


3d Missouri Light Artillery, Lieut. T. 11 . Catron. 




» 


T 


/ 

/ 



r 


i 


The Tensaw River from Blakely. 










1 


I heard the old year talking, and he seemed 
to say to me, 

“I'm what mankind has made me, not what 
I hoped to be. 

I did not bring the failures, my days were 
bright and new, 

I was the time allotted — the work was 
man’s to do. 

“I am what men have made me, not what 
I hoped to be, 

And so shall be the new year, which soon 
shall follow me. 

Our days are good or evil, as each man serves 
and strives, 

For years are but the records on which 
men write their lives.” 

—An Anonymous Message that came 
over the wire from Louisville to 
Montgomery, Ala. 

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